Rug drier



A. QAHURXTHAL 2,236,430

RUG DRIER March 25, 1941.

Filed April 50, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet l March 25, 1941. A. o. HURXTHAL RUG DRIER Filed April 30, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 25, 1941. A. o. HURXTHAL RUG DRIER Filed April 30, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 25, 1941. A. o. HURXTHAL y RUG DRIER Filed April 30. 1938 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 25, 1941. A. Ao. HURXTHAL RUG DRIER Filed April 30, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet S Illlldlllllllllllllll m$\ I@ llll Il.| llll Il d. l, Q w,

March 25, 1941. A.' o. HURx'rHAl.

RUG DRIER Filed April 30, 1938 T Sheets-Sheet 6 March 25, 1941. A. o. HURXTHAL RUG DRIER Filed April 5o. 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE to Proctor & Schwartz, Incorporated, Philadelphia, vPa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 30, 1938, Serial No. 205,342

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the carpet cleaning art; and particularly to the drying of carpeting units such as rugs, runners, or other pieces or strips of carpet which have passed through a washing, scouring or other wet processing. The present invention is particularly adapted for use by commercial cleaners of rugs collected indiscriminately from homes, ofiices, institutions, etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which will quickly dry. rugs, etc., of various lengths, widths and thicknesses, continuously, ln progressive simultaneity, regardless of the respective sizes or thicknesses of the individual units.

Another object of the invention is to squeeze or otherwise extract or evacuate excessive free moisture from the rugs preliminary to final drying and to complete the drying of the rugs in or as one continuous automatic operation with such extraction.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for applying a sizing to the underside of each rug during and as a part of the continuous free moisture evacuating and final drying operations, preferably intermediate the preliminary and final drying operations.

Another object of the invention is to anchor each rug, etc., to a rigid structure, at a number of relatively spaced points throughout the length and breadth and over the entire area of each unit, to prevent the pieces from shrinking as the drying progresses and to distribute the strains resulting from the shrinkage prevention over the entire area of each piece, for reducing the strain at any given point to a minimum. Such shrinkage prevention is particularly preferable in cases where the rugs are sized before final drying.

Another object of the invention is to construct the device in such a manner that the rugs of various sizes may be automatically fed from and by the preliminary squeezing device directly to the rigid supporting structure and automatically anchored thereto in the manner above noted.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically stripping the various sized rugs, etc., from the anchoring means at the conclusion of the nal drying process.

Another object of the invention is to provide the rigid supporting structure in the form of a flat platform for maintaining eachA rug, etc., in a single fiat plane during the drying and antishrinkage operation, in order that the rug, after drying, will lie flatly on the floor. Another object of the invention is to arrange simultaneously im-pinging upon the opposite faces of the rugs, etc., will reduce the drying time to a. minimum.

The device forming the subject matter of the v present invention may be provided at its delivery end with means for raising the nap of the carpet after the rugs have been thoroughly dried.

Prior to the present inventionit has been, customary, after rugs, etc., have been washed, to pass the rugs through a pair of squeeze rolls, or

through a water evacuating device comprising a vacuum extractor, and to hang the rugs over poles, or to suspend the rugs from poles by securing one edge of each rug to the pole after which the loaded poles were hung in a drying room 'or carried by an overhead conveyer through a 25 drying chamber.

It has also been the practice to secure the rugs to open frames around the marginal edges solely of each rug and to stand or hang the framed rugs upright in a room containing heated air or in which heated air is circulated. These frames in some instances have been made adjustable to take care of various sizes of rugs within relatively small limits of variation.

The drying time under the above noted practices varied from 2 to 24 hours, depending upon the manner in which the rugs were suspended, and the eiiiciency of the air circulating means and other apparatus affecting the condition of the drying air.

iu The rugs which are hung over the overhead poles during drying would not lie iiatly after drying. suspending the rugs from or hanging the rugs over` poles in the manner noted also had a tendency to cause migration of dye stuff from the upper portion of the hanging rug into the lower and/or intermediate portions of the rug, frequently causing disfiguration of the rug, particularly in patterned rugs. The rugs` hanging over or suspended from the supporting poles,

being more or less unrestricted, tended to shrink unevenly. 'I'his frequently distorted the rugs from their original shapes and dimensions.

Rugs secured to open frames around their marginal edges and placed in upright positions CII during drying were subject to damage by dye running and were also subject. to severe strains which frequently damaged the rugs at their marginal edges as a result of uncontrolled shrinkage in the more centrally disposed portions of the rug during the drying thereof.

Another difficulty attending the drying of the rugs on open frames was that the rugs as they were delivered one after another from the cleansing apparatus varied in length and width to such an extent that it was necessary to keep an extremely large stock of various sizes of frames on hand or to adjust stock frames frequently and in some instances, to make up new frames to take care of odd sized rugs. As the successive rugs coming from the washing apparatus varied considerably in size a great amount of time was lost and an excessive amount of labor was required in and for preparing the washed rugs for the drying operation.

The present invention overcomes all the above noted objections as a result of its improved construction and mode of operation of the apparatus, in which the rugs, coming from the washing apparatus one after another, regardless of their respective sizes, are automatically delivered from the primary evacuators or squeeze rolls onto the continuous moving rigid support; and are anchored automatically at a large number of relatively spaced points distributed over the entire area of each piece, regardless f its dimensions, as the pieces pass successively into the feed end of the drying apparatus. The rugs anchored individually on the flat continuously moving platform are then subjected to jets of air simultaneously impinging against the opposite faces of the pieces as they progress through the drying chamber to complete the drying of the individual pieces in approximately 20 to 30 minutes as compared with the 2 to 24 hour drying time under the old method.

By maintaining the rugs in a at, horizontal single plane during the drying process migration of the dye stuff from one portion of the rug into another portion thereof, is eliminated. In cases of rugs which have had a sizing applied to the back face thereof, prior to the drying operation,

the sizing likewise is held in even distribution over the entire back of the rug during the drying of the rug in a flat horizontal position.

By automatically anchoring the rugs on the rigid moving support in the manner noted, the time consuming handling of the rugs, the poles and the frames, and the damage and distortion of the rugs as a result of such practices, is eliminated.

The construction and operation of the apparatus forming the subject matter of the present invention will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Fig. 1 is a. diagrammatic longitudinal sectional elevation of the preferred form of apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a plan view of one of the rigid units of which the movable supporting platform is composed:

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 3, and showing a plurality of the individual rigid units of Fig. 4 connected together to form the endless supporting platform;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a modied form of apparatus;

Fig. '1 is a diagrammatic plan viewl oi the device shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a portion of the traveling rug support employed in the form of the device shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line Ill-I0, Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation taken on the line II'-II, Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation showing the rug support passing around an upper turn in the circuitous path traveled by the support in the structures shown in Figs, 6, 7 and 8 and Fig. 13 is a corresponding view showing the rug support passing around one of the lower turns in its circuitous path.

The preferred form of apparatus, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, comprises a substantially closed casing I in which is mounted a plurality of upper manifolds 2 and a plurality of lower manifolds 3, 3.

The manifolds 2 and 3 are respectively provided with a multiplicity of relatively spaced air jets or nozzles 4, 4 and 5, 5 respectively. The jets or nozzles 4, 4 and 5, 5 are arranged to eject streams of air in opposite vertical directions toward a medium, horizontal plane extending from end to end of the casing I.

Arranged to travel in the above noted medium plane, in one direction through the casing I from end to end thereof, is a rug carrying run 6 of an endless conveyer 1, the return run 8 of which passes in a reverse direction through the lower part of the casing I below the manifolds 3.

The conveyer 1'passes around suitable rotary supports or guides Il, II and I2 at and outside the feed end of the casing I, and around rotary supports or guides I3 and I4 at and outside the delivery end of the casing I. Between the rotary supports or guides 9 and I3, and extending from one to the other thereof, the carrying run 6 of the conveyer 'I is supported on and moves along rails Il), I0 located at'opposlte sides respectively of the casing I.

Distributed over the entire surface of the conveyer 1, in lateral and longitudinally relatively spaced relation to each other, and projecting substantially perpendicular to the plane of the rug .carrying surface of the conveyer 1, is a multiplicity of pins I5. The pins I5 are adapted to be projected into the rugs supported on the upper carrying run 6 of the conveyer 1 during theconveying of the rugs through the casing I.

Along an inclined portion 6a of the carrying run 6 between supports 9 and the entrance of the conveyer 1 into the casing I, the rugs are engaged by a press roll I6, which preferably is composed of or provided with a relatively thick layer of soft sponge rubber or its equivalent. This resilient faced roll engages the upper face of each rug :c as it is fed onto the inclined portion 6a of the conveyer 1. The relatively soft facing of the roll I6 rmly presses each rug x down firmly onto the pins I5, projecting upwardly from the conveyer 1, and thereby anchors the rugs to the conveyer 1, in the manner above noted.

The rugs are automatically fed to the inclined portion 6a of the conveyer 1 by a pair of rolls I1 and I8, which in addition to feeding the rugs to the supporting conveyer 1, may effect a preliminary extraction of excessive free moisture frorri the rugs x. The rolls I1 and I8 may form part of the washing machine (not shown.) in cases where the washing and drying apparatus are connected in tandem and by which the washing and drying would be effected as a continuous process. In other cases, however, the rolls I1 and I8 may form complementary parts of the drying apparatus, for receiving the rugs :r successively for primarily extracting excessive free moisture and in addition, functioning as means for feeding the wet rugs to the conveyer 1 of the drying apparatus.

'I'he rolls l1-and I8 may be of the ordinary rubber faced squeeze type or may be of the hollow perforated suction type for effecting extraction of excess moisture from the rugs a: as the rugs are fed thereby to the conveyer 1.

Intermediate the press roll I6 and the feed rolls I1 and I8, the apparatus may include a sizing roll I9 arranged to engage the underside of each of the rugs :c as it passes from the feed rolls I1 and I8 to the carrying run of the conveyer 1. The sizing roll I9 may be supplied with a sizing in liquid form from a tank 20, into which the lower portion of the roll I9 may extend, or the sizing may be conveyed from a similar tank 20 to the sizing roll I9 by a series of intermediate rolls. if desired.

Y The rug .'c, while passing down the incline from the feed rolls I1 and I8 to the inclined portion 6a of the conveyer 1, is pressed into contact with the sizing roll I9 by an upper contact roll 2|.

The conveyer 1 is of such rigid construction that it will maintain the pins I5 in definitely fixed spaced relation to each other in such a man.. ner as will resist any and all tendency of the pins to move toward each other as a result of the rugs tending to shrink as the drying operation progresses. Thus the rugs are prevented from shrinking longitudinally and transversely.

The relative spacing of the pins I5, longitudinally and transversely of the conveyer 1, correspondingly distributes the strains attending the shrinkage prevention over the entire area of each rug, whereby the strain at any one of the large number of relatively spaced anchor points is substantially nil. Such arrangement prevents tearing or fraying of the rugs around the edges thereof or adjacent any weak areas in the rug.

When a sizing is applied to the back of the rug and the sized back is pressed firmly against the carrying surface of the conveyer 1, the rugs tend to adhere to the carrying surface of the conveyer, during and after drying, and if care is not exercized in removing the rugs from the carrying surface and from the pins I5 which project from the carrying surface of the conveyer into the body of each rug, the rug will be damaged in separating the rug from the conveyer. To prevent such damage the rug must be loosened from the carrying conveyer and from the pins substantially at all points across the conveyer at one and the same time. In order to accomplish this result successfully and automatically, the apparatus is provided with a plurality of relatively thin, narrow stripping bands 25 of the endless type, which travel concurrently with the conveyer 1 in contact with the rug carrying surface of the conveyer, and between the rugs and the conveyer,

l throughout at least the full extent of the carrying run Ga-S of the conveyer 1. The stripping bands 25 are arranged in laterally spaced relation to each other across the entire width of the carrying run 8 of the conveyer 1, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 2.

At the delivery end of the casing lthe conveyer 1 and the series of stripper bands 25 are caused to separate one from the other and to move in planesdisposed at an angle to each other, whereby the stripper bands 25 raise the rugs :c from the carrying surface of the conveyer 1 and off the pins I5 which project from the rug carrying surface of the conveyer 1.

For the above purpose, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the stripper bands 25 travel in a horizontal plane with the carrying run B of the conveyer 1 until the concurrently moving conveying and stripper L bands arrive at the rotary support I3 of the conveyer 1, whereupon the stripper bands 25 continue to move in the same horizontal plane as before while the conveyer 1 passes down and around the rotary support I3. This separates the bands 25Y and the conveyer 1 and leaves the rugs x supported on the portions 25a of the bands 25 and causes the carrying surface of the conveyer 1 to be stripped from the rugs and the pins i5 tobe withdrawn from the rugs, as the rugs are advanced away from the conveyer 1 by the stripper bands 25.

Prior to the stripping of the rugs from the conveyer 1 the upper face of each rug is subjected to a nap raising operation, performed by a rotary brush 28 of any suitable type which brushes u the nap in one direction as the rugs a' are advanced under said rotary brush.

During the passage of the conveyer 1 through the casing I, from the feed end to' the delivery end thereof, with the rugs a: supported by the fiat horizontal carrying run 6 of the conveyers, the rugs are subjected to the impingement of jets of air upon the opposite faces respectively of the rugs, simultaneously, by the jets or nozzles 4, 4 and 5, 5.

The air jets 4, 4 and 5, 5 may be of any desired construction, in the form of parallel rows of individual nozzles or, as in the preferred form of the invention, the jets are in the form of continuous slots formed between converging walls projecting from the lower and upper sides of the manifolds 2 and 8 respectively and extending continuously from side to side of and transversely across substantially the entire width of the upper carrying run 8 of the conveyer 1 with the parallel slots spaced apart longitudinally of the casing I throughout substantially the full length of the casing, from the feed endr thereof to the delivery end thereof, whereby air forced under desired pressure from the jets 4 and 5 continuously impinges upon both of the opposite faces of the rugs simultaneously, as the rugs are moving through the casing I from the feed end to the delivery end thereof.

The air ejected from the'nozzles or jets 4 and 5 may be forced into the manifolds 2 and 3 under desired pressure by any suitable means. In the present instance, each of the manifolds is provided with a fan type impeller 21 which is driven by any suitable means such as an individual motor 28.

At each side of and extending-from end to end of and along the casing I is a circulating compartment 29, which is separated from the central portion of the casing I, through which the conveyer 1 passes, by a vertical partition 30. The

end of each manifold 2 and 3 into which the dryculating compartment 28 by the impeller 21 and forced into the manifold 2 or 8, as the case may be. The circulating air may be heated by any suitable form of heating apparatus, such as steam coils, etc., diagrammatically illustrated at 8|, in each of the side compartments 29.

In order to complete the circulation of air the vertical partitions 80 may be provided with suitable openings 32 affording communication between the circulatingcompartments 28, 28 and the .intermediate drying compartment in which the conveyer 1 travels.

In order to provide the necessary rigidity in the conveyer 1, said conveyer is composed of a plurality of relatively flat sections 85. Each section 35 is composed of a flat plate 88 perforated over substantially the entire surface thereof in any suitable manner, for example, as indicated at 31, Along its opposite, transversely extending edges, in the present instance, each plate 88 is provided with relatively staggered hinge bosses 38 and 39. 'I'he hinge bosses 38 lof one plate 88 vilt into the spaces between the hinge bosses 88 of the next adjacent plate, with a pivot rod 48 passing through the axially aligned bosses and` pivotally connecting the sections 85, 85 together to complete the continuous endless conveyer 1.

In the present instance, each plate 85 is provided with a depending transversely4 extending flange 4I to which is secured a transversely extending girt 42, for stiifening the sections transversely of the conveyer.

In the present instance, the pins I5 project through the perforations 81 in the plates 88 and are carried by readily removable or replaceable angle bars 43 which are connected by bolts or other suitable fastening means 44 to the flange 4I and girt 42 adjacent one edge of the plate 85T Each conveyer section 85 is connected by bolts, rivets, or other fastening means 45 to an attachment flange 46 of a chain link 41. The chain links 41, 41 are pivotally connected at 48, 48 and collectively form the side chains 48, 49 of the conveyer 1. The axes of the pivot pins 48, 48 of the side chains, 48 are in axial alignment with each other and with the axis of the pivot rod 48. 'I'he rug carrying faces y, y of the adjacent sections 35 are thereby arranged and maintained in .a single plane throughout the carrying run of the conveyer 1.

The pins I5, as shown in Fig. 5, project above the flat composite carrying face y of the con- 'veyer 1 and the stripping bands 25 normally lie on the carrying face y of the conveyer 1, between the pins I5, I5.

As noted above, the bands 25, 25 travel concurrently With the conveyer 1 and are supported thereby except at the delivery end of the casing l where said bands follow in the plane of the -carrying surface of the conveyer to a desirable distance beyond the rotary support I3 of the conveyer 1, where said conveyer turns from said plane and thereby effects stripping of the rugs from the carrying surface y and the pins I5.

Beyond the rotary supports I8 and I4 for the 'conveyer 1, the stripper bands 25 are supported by rotary supports 50 and 5I, as shown in Fig. V1.

Rotatably mounted on the pivot pins 48, 48 in the present instance, of the chains 48, 48, are rollers 52, 52 which ride on the rails I8 and support the carrying run of the conveyer with the carrying faces y, u of the sections 35, 35 in a continuous single horizontal plane.

The conveyer 1 may be driven in any suitable manner. For example, either or each of the ro- 'tary guides or supports 8, I3 or I4 may be in the form of pairs of sprockets meshing with the links 41, 41 of the side chains 48, 48 and each or any pair secured to a single shaft may be driven by any suitable means from any suitable source of power applied to the shaft or shafts.

From the above, it will be clear that the rugs regardless of their length, width or thickness are received by the rolls I1 and I8 and fed thereby in continuous succession onto the inclined portion 5a of the carrying run 8 of the conveyer 1 and automatically pressed by the roll I5 onto the carrying surface 11 and the pins I5 of said conveyer 1. In instances where a sizing is to be applied to the back ofthe rugs, the rugs pass between the sizing roll I8 and the contact roll-2|,

before being laid on the carrying surface u of the conveyer 1. Before the rugs pass under the press roll I8, the rugs may, if desired, pass under a transversely extending guide plate 54. However, in some instances this guide plate may be eliminated and the rugs may pass directly from the rolls I8 and 2I or the rolls I1 and I8 to the underside of the press roll I6.

The distribution of the pins I5, over the carrying surface 11 of the conveyer 1, rigidly holds the rugs at a number of relatively spaced points over the entire area of each rug and makes the structure universally adaptable for drying rugs of all sizes having one dimension less than the width of the conveyer 1, which obviously would be made sufficiently Wide to take in any and all of the larger sizes of rugs.

It is possible also, to place a number of narrow rugs or runners side by side, as Well as end to end, on the carrying surface y of the conveyer 1 and such a plurality of narrow rugs would be automatically applied to the carrying surface of the conveyer in the same manner as a single rug of maximum width.

As the rugs are advanced through the casing l by the conveyer 1, the drying air is continuously impinged against the opposite faces respectively of each and every rug, by the nozzles or jets 4 and 5 positioned respectively above and below the carrying run 8 of the conveyer 1. The air impinglng against the opposite faces of the rugs continuously quickly dries the rugs, in from 20 to minutes as noted above, the variation depending primarily upon the thicknesses of the rugs being dried, the thinner rugs drying in a shorter length Aof time than the thicker rugs which require a slightly greater length of time,

The length of the casing I is determined by the speed at which the conveyer 'I is operated, which speed should be sufciently high to take care of the rugs as fast or slightly faster than the speed at which the rugs are passed from the washing mechanism between the rolls i1 and I8; and the rate of moisture absorption of the air impinging upon the opposite faces of the rugs for each foot of travel of the carrying run of the' conveyer 1.

As the dried rugs pass from the delivery end of the casing i, the nap is raised by the brush 26, whereupon the conveyer 1 is diverted from the normal horizontal plane of the carrying run 5, while the stripper bands 25 continue to adwhich the rugs may be rolled and wrapped for delivery.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 6

to 13 inclusive, a rug supporting conveyer |01 passes through a casing I| in a more or less circuitous path, passing over a plurality of upper rotary supports |09 and under a series of lower bend guides ||I. In this instance,'the conveyer 01 is composed of side chains |49, |49, the links |41 of which are pivotally connected by pintles- '|48 on which are rotatably mounted rollers |52. Each, or alternate, links are provided with attachment anges |46, to which are secured the opposite ends respectively of cross girts |42.

Carried by each girt |42 is a series of xed pins I| 5, II5. Slidably mounted on each cross girt is a bar |43 which carries a series of pins |5a, ||a. In this instance the pins ||5 are disposed at an angle to the perpendicular and are inclined toward one side of the conveyer |01. The pins ||5a are inclined in the opposite direction, toward the opposite side of the conveyer 1.

The rugs are pressed down onto the upper edges yl of the girts 42 and onto the pins ||5 and ||5a projecting above the carrying edge of each girt |42. The bar |43 is then shifted longitudinally to a slight extent, which moves the pins ||5a slightly toward the pins ||5. This slight, relative shifting of the pins ||5a with respect to the stationary pins I|5 effects a gripping of each rug, at a large number of relatively spaced points distributed over the entire area of each rug, whereby each rug is held firmly to the girt |42 as the girts pass around upper and lower supports and guides |09 and I I.

Intermediate the 'upper and lower guides, the side chains |49, |49 straighten out and maintain the carrying edges yl, yl of the glrts |42, |42 in a common plane. This straightens or flattens the rugs being carried by the conveyer |01 and causes the rugs, when dry, to lie in a flat condition.

'I'he shifting'of the bars |43 may be effected in any suitable manner and in the present instance is automatically effected in one direction by a cam |55 disposed in the path of the conveyer |01 adjacent the receiving end of the casing |0|. 'I'he cam II5 is arranged to engage and rock a lever |56 which is pivotally connected at |51 to the girt |42. 'I'he lever |56 is provided with an eccentric pin |58 to which is pivotally connected one end of a link |59. The opposite end of the link |59 is pivotally connected at |60 to the bar As the conveyer |01 advances the lever |56 engages the cam |55 and is swung about its pivot |51 raising the eccentric pin |58 to a position above a line extending through the axis of the pin |61 and that of the pivot pin |60, until the upper edge of the link |59 engages a stop pin |6|. Such movement shifts the bar |43 and moves the pin ||5a relative to the pins |I5, placing the fabric under tension between said pins, the reaction of which holds the link |59 in contact with the stop pin I6| and locks the lever |56 against accidental release.

Adjacent the delivery end of the casing |0I, the lever |56 engages a second cam |62 which rocks the lever |56 in an opposite direction and moves the bar |43 in an opposite direction. The pins ||5a are thereby moved in a direction away from the pins ||5 and release the rugs from the conveyer |01.

The arrangement is such that rugs of various widths and lengths are automatically applied to the conveyer |01 and are maintained in a substantially fiat condition throughout the greater portion of the travel of the conveyer |01 through the casing |0I, and are automatically released.

from the conveyer |01 adjacent the delivery end of the easing |0I.

The shifting of the one seriesof pins with respect to the other series oi pins holds the rugs against shrinkage and against accidental release from the conveyer |01 as the conveyer Ipasses around the turns in its circuitous path.

In this instance, instead of the rugs passing between impinging jets of air, circulation of drying air is created within the drying casing I0| by suitable fans |21, any suitable means being pro vided for controlling the temperature and humidity of the circulated drying air.

In this instance the rugs :t are shown as being delivered to the conveyer |01 directly from a vacuum extractor ||8 cooperating with which is a press roll ||1 to function as a feeding means for the rugs nr.

If desired, a press roll ||6 may be provided between the roll ||8 and the cam |55, for pressing rugs rmly onto the pins ||5 and ||5a before the one series of pins in shifted relation to the other series of pins for securing the rugs to the girts |42 in the manner above noted.

Obviously this form of apparatus may also be provided with mechanism for applying a sizing to the back of the rug prior to its application to the conveyer |01.

With this form of apparatus stripping bands are not necessary, for the reason that the conveyer |01, aside from the contact with the rugs aiorded by the pins I|5 and ||5a, engages the rugs only at and on relatively spaced parallel lines as represented by the edges yl of the girts` |42. Therefore, there is small likelihood of the rugs sticking to the'conveyer and the use of stripping bands is, therefore, unnecessary.

'Ihe function of removing theV carpet from the shrinkage preventing pins is performed by the shifting of the pins |5a relative to the pins ||5 in the direction to release the rug as noted above, and which causes the dry and relatively stii rug to slide upwardly on the inclined pins when the one set of pins is moved away from the other set of pins.

In order that the rugs will not be subjected to stretching strains as the conveyer 01 passes around the turns of its circuitous path, the rug carrying edges of yl, yl of the girts |42, 42 are arranged in line with the pitch lines of the side chains |49, |49.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it vwill be obvious that rugs of diiferent Widths respectively may be passed between the squeeze rolls |1 and I8 in side by side relation to each other across the full width of the squeeze rolls which corresponds to the width of the conveyer 1; and with rugs of various sizes as well as various widths the rugs may be fed to the squeeze rolls in continuous end to end succession. A number of rugs would then b fed simultaneously from and by the squeeze or feed rolls directly onto the conveyer 1 in the same order and relation as they are fed to Ithe rolls |1 and I8 and thus substantially completely cover the surface of the conveyer 1 from side to side and end to end of the carrying run 6 thereof, the depositing of the rugs on the conveyer 1 being automatically effected by the rolls I1 and I 8.l

used merely as a flattening roll to insure the rugs lying flatly on the plain surface of the conveyer 'l or it may be dispensed with entirely as desired.

The rugs may be guided from the squeeze rolls l1 and I8 to the conveyer 1 by any suitable form of support such as a plain at table, a slatted table or by a series of rollers in lieu of the support afforded by the sizing roller i9.

Under the above noted circumstances a plurality of various size rugs, strips, etc., may be fitted together on the conveyer in a manner to cover substantially the entire surface of the carrying run B of the conveyer 'l and lie loosely and flatly in the conveyers the conveyer with said rugs passes between the upper and lower series of air jets and the action of the air being substantially above and below the rugs will keep the rugs from shifting relative to each other as the drying progresses.

The stripper bands 25, 25 may or may not be used, as desired, as conveyers for moving the dried rugs off the conveyer 1 instead of performing their primary function as strippers when the pins l5 are used.

Iclaim:

1. The combination of an endless conveyer adapted to support a plurality of rugs of similar or varying shapes and dimensions adjacent each other simultaneously on one face of the conveyer. rug anchoring pins secured to said conveyer and projecting outwardly from said face thereof in relatively closely spaced relation to each other longitudinally and transversely of the conveyer to pierce and anchor each rug at a multiplicity of relatively spaced points regardless of its shape and dimensions over the entire area of each rug within the marginal boundaries thereof, a resilient faced roll rotatably mounted above said face and extending completely across the con-,f

veyer from side to side of said face for pressing the rugs progressively down on said pins into flat contact with said face of the conveyer, and means for drying said rugs while anchored to said conveyer by said pins.

2. The combination of an endless conveyer adapted to support a plurality of rugs of similar or varying shapes and dimensions adjacent each other simultaneously on one face of the conveyer, rug anchoring pins secured to said conveyer and projecting outwardly from said face thereof in relatively closely spaced relation to each other longitudinally and transversely of the conveyer to pierce and anchor each rug at a multiplicity of relatively spaced points regardless of its shape and dimensions over the entire area of each rug within the marginal boundaries thereof, a resilient faced roll rotatably mounted above said face and extending completely across the conveyer from side to side of said face for pressing the rugs progressively down on said pins into flat contact with said face of the conveyer, a pair of squeeze rolls for receiving said rugs in said relationship in advance of saidconveyer to flatten and extract excess moisture from said rugs and to deliver said rugs in said relationship between said conveyer face and said press roll.

3. 'Ihe combination of an endless conveyer adapted to support a plurality of rugs of similar or varying shapes and dimensions adjacent each other simultaneously on one face of the conveyer. rug anchoring pins secured to said conveyer and projecting outwardly from said face thereof in relatively closely spaced'relation to each other longitudinally and transversely of the conveyer to pierce and anchor each rug at a multiplicity of relatively spaced points regardless of its shape and dimensions over the entire area of each rug within the marginal boundaries thereof, a resilient faced roll rotatably mounted above said face and extending completely across the conveyer from side to side of said face for pressing the rugs progressively down on said pins into fiat contact with said face of the conveyer, means for drying said rugs while anchored to said conveyer by said pins, a plurality of thin laterally spaced endless narrow bands of greater lengths respectively than said endless conveyer encircling said conveyer longitudinally thereof and adapted to lie upon one face between said rugs and said face and travel concurrently with said face of said conveyer in stationary relationship thereto during said drying of said rugs, and means for guiding said conveyer and said bands into divergent paths respectively at the conclusion of said drying to strip said rugs from said face of the conveyer.

4. The combination of a perforated endless conveyer adapted to support a plurality of 'rugs of similar or varying shapes and dimensions adjacent each other simultaneously on one face of the conveyer, rug anchoring pins secured to said conveyer and projecting outwardly from said face thereof in relatively closely spaced relation to each other longitudinally and transversely of the conveyer to pierce and anchor each rug at a multiplicity of relatively spaced points regardless of its shape and dimensions over the entire 'area of each rug within .the marginal boundaries thereof, a resilient faced roll rotatably mounted above said face and extending completely across the conveyer from side to side of said face for pressing the rugs progressively down on said pins into flat contact with said face of the conveyer. and air nozzles extending transversely across the full width of the conveyer above and below said conveyer in spaced relation longitudinally of the conveyer to impinge air against opposite sides respectively of said rugs simultaneously for drying said rugs while anchored to said conveyer by said pins.

ALPHEUS O. HURXTHAL. 

